June 15th
2007

In 1977, there were no “hardcore” players of video games: Every video game had to be created with the assumption that players had no understanding of video games, genres, and controllers. Thirty years later, video games are primarily designed for players with extensive knowledge of video game conventions. This is how video games gained a specialized audience, but lost the general public. In this perspective, video games have long ago become a developed “art”, created for connoisseurs, by connoisseurs with a deep understanding of the medium. Using examples, I will discuss the rise of the hardcore gamer market, and how video games are once again opening up to new players via new platforms like the Wii, and via casual games.

Jesper Juul is a video game theorist and assistant professor in video game theory and design at the Centre for Computer Game Research Copenhagen where he also earned his Ph.D. His book Half-Real on video game theory was published by MIT Press in 2005. Additionally, he works as a multi-user chat systems and casual game developer. His blog, The Ludologist, can be found at http://www.jesperjuul.net/ludologisthttp://www.jesperjuul.net

Speakers

Links

Note: This is one of the thousands of items we imported from
the old website. We’re in the process of reviewing each and
every one, but if you notice something strange about this
particular one,
please let us know.
— Thanks!